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The following is a transcript of the full text of President Bush's State of the Union address

9:12 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, members of the Supreme Court and diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Today our nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream. Tonight we are comforted by the hope of a glad reunion with the husband who was taken so long ago, and we are grateful for the good life of Coretta Scott King. (Applause.)

Each time I am invited to this rostrum, I am humbled by the privilege, and mindful of the history we have seen together. We have gathered under this Capitol dome in moments of national mourning and national achievement. We have served America through one of the most consequential periods of our history -- and it has been my honor to serve with you.

In a system of two parties, two chambers, and two elected branches, there will always be differences and debate. But even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must act in a spirit of good will and respect for one another -- and I will do my part. Tonight the state of our union is strong -- and together we will make it stronger.

In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine both the future and the character of our country. We will choose to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom -- or retreat from our duties in the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our prosperity by leading the world economy -- or shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting -- yet it ends in danger and decline. The only way to protect our people ... the only way to secure the peace ... the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership -- so the United States of America will continue to lead.Abroad, our nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal -- we seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends on it. On September 11th, 2001, we found that problems originating in a failed and oppressive state seven thousand miles away could bring murder and destruction to our country. Dictatorships shelter terrorists, feed resentment and radicalism, and seek weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace resentment with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer, and so we will act boldly in freedom's cause.

Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the great story of our time. In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely democracies on earth. Today, there are 122. And we are writing a new chapter in the story of self-government -- with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan ... and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple ink ... and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the rights of individuals and the necessity of freedom. At the start of 2006, more than half the people of our world live in democratic nations. And we do not forget the other half -- in places like Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Iran -- because the demands of justice, and the peace of this world, require their freedom as well.

No one can deny the success of freedom, but some men rage and fight against it. And one of the main sources of reaction and opposition is radical Islam -- the perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology of terror and death.

Terrorists like bin Laden are serious about mass murder -- and all of us must take their declared intentions seriously. They seek to impose a heartless system of totalitarian control throughout the Middle East, and arm themselves with weapons of mass murder. Their aim is to seize power in Iraq, and use it as a safe haven to launch attacks against America and the world. Lacking the military strength to challenge us directly, the terrorists have chosen the weapon of fear. When they murder children at a school in Beslan ... or blow up commuters in London ... or behead a bound captive ... the terrorists hope these horrors will break our will, allowing the violent to inherit the earth. But they have miscalculated: We love our freedom, and we will fight to keep it.

In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders. If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would simply move the battlefield to our own shores. There is no peace in retreat. And there is no honor in retreat. By allowing radical Islam to work its will -- by leaving an assaulted world to fend for itself -- we would signal to all that we no longer believe in our own ideals, or even in our own courage. But our enemies and our friends can be certain: The United States will not retreat from the world, and we will never surrender to evil.

America rejects the false comfort of isolationism. We are the nation that saved liberty in Europe, and liberated death camps, and helped raise up democracies, and faced down an evil empire. Once again, we accept the call of history to deliver the oppressed, and move this world toward peace.

We remain on the offensive against terror networks. We have killed or captured many of their leaders -- and for the others, their day will come.

We remain on the offensive in Afghanistan -- where a fine president and national assembly are fighting terror while building the institutions of a new democracy.

And we are on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory. First, we are helping Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that old resentments will be eased, and the insurgency marginalized. Second, we are continuing reconstruction efforts, and helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis can experience the benefits of freedom. Third, we are striking terrorist targets while we train Iraqi forces that are increasingly capable of defeating the enemy. Iraqis are showing their courage every day, and we are proud to be their allies in the cause of freedom.

Our work in Iraq is difficult, because our enemy is brutal. But that brutality has not stopped the dramatic progress of a new democracy. In less than three years, that nation has gone from dictatorship, to liberation, to sovereignty, to a constitution, to national elections. At the same time, our coalition has been relentless in shutting off terrorist infiltration, clearing out insurgent strongholds, and turning over territory to Iraqi security forces. I am confident in our plan for victory ... I am confident in the will of the Iraqi people ... I am confident in the skill and spirit of our military. Fellow citizens, we are in this fight to win, and we are winning.

The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home. As we make progress on the ground, and Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead, we should be able to further decrease our troop levels -- but those decisions will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in Washington, D.C.

Our coalition has learned from experience in Iraq. We have adjusted our military tactics and changed our approach to reconstruction. Along the way, we have benefited from responsible criticism and counsel offered by members of Congress of both parties. In the coming year, I will continue to reach out and seek your good advice.

Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure. Hindsight alone is not wisdom. And second-guessing is not a strategy.

With so much in the balance, those of us in public office have a duty to speak with candor. A sudden withdrawal of our forces from Iraq would abandon our Iraqi allies to death and prison ... put men like bin Laden and Zarqawi in charge of a strategic country ... and show that a pledge from America means little. Members of Congress: however we feel about the decisions and debates of the past, our nation has only one option: We must keep our word, defeat our enemies, and stand behind the American military in its vital mission.

Our men and women in uniform are making sacrifices -- and showing a sense of duty stronger than all fear. They know what it is like to fight house-to-house in a maze of streets ... to wear heavy gear in the desert heat ... to see a comrade killed by a roadside bomb. And those who know the costs also know the stakes. Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay was killed last month fighting the enemy in Falluja. He left behind a letter to his family, but his words could just as well be addressed to every American. Here is what Dan wrote: "I know what honor is. It has been an honor to protect and serve all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that you would not have to.... Never falter! Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting."

Staff Sergeant Dan Clay's wife, Lisa, and his mom and dad, Sara Jo and Bud, are with us this evening. Our nation is grateful to the fallen, who live in the memory of our country. We are grateful to all who volunteer to wear our nation's uniform -- and as we honor our brave troops, let us never forget the sacrifices of America's military families.

Our offensive against terror involves more than military action. Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political freedom and peaceful change. So the United States of America supports democratic reform across the broader Middle East. Elections are vital -- but they are only the beginning. Raising up a democracy requires the rule of law, protection of minorities, and strong, accountable institutions that last longer than a single vote. The great people of Egypt have voted in a multiparty presidential election -- and now their government should open paths of peaceful opposition that will reduce the appeal of radicalism. The Palestinian people have voted in elections -- now the leaders of Hamas must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace. Saudi Arabia has taken the first steps of reform -- now it can offer its people a better future by pressing forward with those efforts. Democracies in the Middle East will not look like our own, because they will reflect the traditions of their own citizens. Yet liberty is the future of every nation in the Middle East, because liberty is the right and hope of all humanity.

The same is true of Iran, a nation now held hostage by a small clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people.The regime in that country sponsors terrorists in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon -- and that must come to an end. The Iranian government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions -- and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons. America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats. And tonight, let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran: America respects you, and we respect your country. We respect your right to choose your own future and win your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to be the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran.

To overcome dangers in our world, we must also take the offensive by encouraging economic progress, fighting disease, and spreading hope in hopeless lands. Isolationism would not only tie our hands in fighting enemies, it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need. We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery. We also show compassion abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty, corruption, and despair are sources of terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking and the drug trade.

In recent years, you and I have taken unprecedented action to fight AIDS and malaria, expand the education of girls, and reward developing nations that are moving forward with economic and political reform. For people everywhere, the United States is a partner for a better life. Shortchanging these efforts would increase the suffering and chaos of our world, undercut our long-term security, and dull the conscience of our country. I urge members of Congress to serve the interests of America by showing the compassion of America.

Our country must also remain on the offensive against terrorism here at home. The enemy has not lost the desire or capability to attack us. Fortunately, this nation has superb professionals in law enforcement, intelligence, the military, and homeland security. These men and women are dedicating their lives to protecting us all, and they deserve our support and our thanks. They also deserve the same tools they already use to fight drug trafficking and organized crime -- so I ask you to reauthorize the Patriot Act.

It is said that prior to the attacks of September 11th, our government failed to connect the dots of the conspiracy. We now know that two of the hijackers in the United States placed telephone calls to al Qaeda operatives overseas. But we did not know about their plans until it was too late. So to prevent another attack -- based on authority given to me by the Constitution and by statute -- I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected al Qaeda operatives and affiliates to and from America. Previous presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have -- and federal courts have approved the use of that authority. Appropriate members of Congress have been kept informed. This terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks. It remains essential to the security of America. If there are people inside our country who are talking with al Qaeda, we want to know about it -- because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again.

In all these areas -- from the disruption of terror networks, to victory in Iraq, to the spread of freedom and hope in troubled regions -- we need the support of friends and allies. To draw that support, we must always be clear in our principles and willing to act. The only alternative to American leadership is a dramatically more dangerous and anxious world. Yet we also choose to lead because it is a privilege to serve the values that gave us birth. American leaders -- from Roosevelt to Truman to Kennedy to Reagan -- rejected isolation and retreat, because they knew that America is always more secure when freedom is on the march. Our own generation is in a long war against a determined enemy -- a war that will be fought by presidents of both parties, who will need steady bipartisan support from the Congress. And tonight I ask for yours. Together, let us protect our country, support the men and women who defend us, and lead this world toward freedom.

Here at home, America also has a great opportunity: We will build the prosperity of our country by strengthening our economic leadership in the world.

Our economy is healthy and vigorous and growing faster than other major industrialized nations. In the last two-and-a-half years, America has created 4.6 million new jobs -- more than Japan and the European Union combined. Even in the face of higher energy prices and natural disasters, the American people have turned in an economic performance that is the envy of the world.

The American economy is pre-eminent -- but we cannot afford to be complacent. In a dynamic world economy, we are seeing new competitors like China and India. This creates uncertainty, which makes it easier to feed people's fears. And so we are seeing some old temptations return. Protectionists want to escape competition, pretending that we can keep our high standard of living while walling off our economy. Others say that the government needs to take a larger role in directing the economy, centralizing more power in Washington and increasing taxes. We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy -- even though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction -- toward a stagnant and second-rate economy.

Tonight I will set out a better path -- an agenda for a nation that competes with confidence -- an agenda that will raise standards of living and generate new jobs. Americans should not fear our economic future, because we intend to shape it.

Keeping America competitive begins with keeping our economy growing. And our economy grows when Americans have more of their own money to spend, save, and invest. In the last five years, the tax relief you passed has left $880 billion in the hands of American workers, investors, small businesses, and families -- and they have used it to help produce more than four years of uninterrupted economic growth. Yet the tax relief is set to expire in the next few years. If we do nothing, American families will face a massive tax increase they do not expect and will not welcome.

Because America needs more than a temporary expansion, we need more than temporary tax relief. I urge the Congress to act responsibly, and make the tax cuts permanent.

Keeping America competitive requires us to be good stewards of tax dollars. Every year of my presidency, we have reduced the growth of nonsecurity discretionary spending -- and last year you passed bills that cut this spending. This year my budget will cut it again, and reduce or eliminate more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not fulfilling essential priorities. By passing these reforms, we will save the American taxpayer another $14 billion next year -- and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. I am pleased that members of Congress are working on earmark reform -- because the federal budget has too many special interest projects. And we can tackle this problem together, if you pass the line-item veto.

We must also confront the larger challenge of mandatory spending, or entitlements. This year, the first of about 78 million baby boomers turn 60, including two of my dad's favorite people -- me and President Bill Clinton. This milestone is more than a personal crisis -- it is a national challenge. The retirement of the baby-boom generation will put unprecedented strains on the federal government. By 2030, spending for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid alone will be almost 60 percent of the entire federal budget. And that will present future Congresses with impossible choices -- staggering tax increases, immense deficits, or deep cuts in every category of spending.

Congress did not act last year on my proposal to save Social Security, yet the rising cost of entitlements is a problem that is not going away -- and with every year we fail to act, the situation gets worse. So tonight, I ask you to join me in creating a commission to examine the full impact of baby boom retirements on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. This commission should include members of Congress of both parties, and offer bipartisan answers. We need to put aside partisan politics, work together, and get this problem solved.

Keeping America competitive requires us to open more markets for all that Americans make and grow. One out of every five factory jobs in America is related to global trade, and we want people everywhere to buy American. With open markets and a level playing field, no one can out-produce or out-compete the American worker.

Keeping America competitive requires an immigration system that upholds our laws, reflects our values, and serves the interests of our economy. Our nation needs orderly and secure borders. To meet this goal, we must have stronger immigration enforcement and border protection. And we must have a rational, humane guest worker program that rejects amnesty ... allows temporary jobs for people who seek them legally ... and reduces smuggling and crime at the border.

Keeping America competitive requires affordable health care. Our government has a responsibility to help provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility. For all Americans, we must confront the rising cost of care ... strengthen the doctor-patient relationship ... and help people afford the insurance coverage they need. We will make wider use of electronic records and other health information technology, to help control costs and reduce dangerous medical errors. We will strengthen health savings accounts -- by making sure individuals and small business employees can buy insurance with the same advantages that people working for big businesses now get. We will do more to make this coverage portable, so workers can switch jobs without having to worry about losing their health insurance. And because lawsuits are driving many good doctors out of practice -- leaving women in nearly 1,500 American counties without a single OB-GYN -- I ask the Congress to pass medical liability reform this year.

Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world.

The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, more reliable alternative energy sources -- and we are on the threshold of incredible advances. So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22 percent increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy.

We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We will also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips, stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years. Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment ... move beyond a petroleum-based economy ... and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.

And to keep America competitive, one commitment is necessary above all: We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. Our greatest advantage in the world has always been our educated, hard-working, ambitious people -- and we are going to keep that edge. Tonight I announce the American Competitiveness Initiative, to encourage innovation throughout our economy, and to give our nation's children a firm grounding in math and science.

First: I propose to double the federal commitment to the most critical basic research programs in the physical sciences over the next 10 years. This funding will support the work of America's most creative minds as they explore promising areas such as nanotechnology, supercomputing, and alternative energy sources.

Second: I propose to make permanent the research and development tax credit, to encourage bolder private-sector investment in technology. With more research in both the public and private sectors, we will improve our quality of life -- and ensure that America will lead the world in opportunity and innovation for decades to come.

Third: We need to encourage children to take more math and science, and make sure those courses are rigorous enough to compete with other nations. We have made a good start in the early grades with the No Child Left Behind Act, which is raising standards and lifting test scores across our country. Tonight I propose to train 70,000 high school teachers, to lead advanced-placement courses in math and science ... bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms ... and give early help to students who struggle with math, so they have a better chance at good, high-wage jobs. If we ensure that America's children succeed in life, they will ensure that America succeeds in the world.

Preparing our nation to compete in the world is a goal that all of us can share. I urge you to support the American Competitiveness Initiative ... and together we will show the world what the American people can achieve.

America is a great force for freedom and prosperity. Yet our greatness is not measured in power or luxuries, but by who we are and how we treat one another. So we strive to be a compassionate, decent, hopeful society.

In recent years, America has become a more hopeful nation. Violent crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1970s. Welfare cases have dropped by more than half over the past decade. Drug use among youth is down 19 percent since 2001. There are fewer abortions in America than at any point in the last three decades, and the number of children born to teenage mothers has been falling for a dozen years in a row.

These gains are evidence of a quiet transformation -- a revolution of conscience, in which a rising generation is finding that a life of personal responsibility is a life of fulfillment. Government has played a role. Wise policies such as welfare reform, drug education, and support for abstinence and adoption have made a difference in the character of our country. And everyone here tonight, Democrat and Republican, has a right to be proud of this record.

Yet many Americans, especially parents, still have deep concerns about the direction of our culture, and the health of our most basic institutions. They are concerned about unethical conduct by public officials, and discouraged by activist courts that try to redefine marriage. And they worry about children in our society who need direction and love ... and about fellow citizens still displaced by natural disaster ... and about suffering caused by treatable disease.

As we look at these challenges, we must never give in to the belief that America is in decline, or that our culture is doomed to unravel. The American people know better than that. We have proven the pessimists wrong before -- and we will do it again.

A hopeful society depends on courts that deliver equal justice under law. The Supreme Court now has two superb new members, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito. I thank the Senate for confirming both of them. And I will continue to nominate men and women who understand that judges must be servants of the law, and not legislate from the bench. Today marks the official retirement of a very special American. For 24 years of faithful service to our Nation, the United States is grateful to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

A hopeful society has institutions of science and medicine that do not cut ethical corners, and that recognize the matchless value of every life. Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research -- human cloning in all its forms ... creating or implanting embryos for experiments ... creating human-animal hybrids ... and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos. Human life is a gift from our creator -- and that gift should never be discarded, devalued, or put up for sale.

A hopeful society expects elected officials to uphold the public trust. Honorable people in both parties are working on reforms to strengthen the ethical standards of Washington -- and I support your efforts. Each of us has made a pledge to be worthy of public responsibility -- and that is a pledge we must never forget, never dismiss, and never betray.

As we renew the promise of our institutions, let us also show the character of America in our compassion and care for one another.

A hopeful society gives special attention to children who lack direction and love. Through the Helping America's Youth Initiative, we are encouraging caring adults to get involved in the life of a child -- and this good work is led by our first lady, Laura Bush. This year we will add resources to encourage young people to stay in school -- so more of America's youth can raise their sights and achieve their dreams.

A hopeful society comes to the aid of fellow citizens in times of suffering and emergency -- and stays at it until they are back on their feet. So far the federal government has committed $85 billion to the people of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. We are removing debris, repairing highways, and building stronger levees. We are providing business loans and housing assistance. Yet as we meet these immediate needs, we must also address deeper challenges that existed before the storm arrived. In New Orleans and in other places, many of our fellow citizens have felt excluded from the promise of our country. The answer is not only temporary relief, but schools that teach every child ... and job skills that bring upward mobility ... and more opportunities to own a home and start a business. As we recover from a disaster, let us also work for the day when all Americans are protected by justice, equal in hope, and rich in opportunity.

A hopeful society acts boldly to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, which can be prevented, and treated, and defeated. More than a million Americans live with HIV, and half of all AIDS cases occur among African-Americans. I ask Congress to reform and reauthorize the Ryan White Act ... and provide new funding to states, so we end the waiting lists for AIDS medicine in America. We will also lead a nationwide effort, working closely with African-American churches and faith-based groups, to deliver rapid HIV tests to millions, end the stigma of AIDS, and come closer to the day when there are no new infections in America.

Fellow citizens, we have been called to leadership in a period of consequence. We have entered a great ideological conflict we did nothing to invite. We see great changes in science and commerce that will influence all our lives. And sometimes it can seem that history is turning in a wide arc, toward an unknown shore.

Yet the destination of history is determined by human action, and every great movement of history comes to a point of choosing. Lincoln could have accepted peace at the cost of disunity and continued slavery. Martin Luther King could have stopped at Birmingham or at Selma, and achieved only half a victory over segregation. The United States could have accepted the permanent division of Europe, and been complicit in the oppression of others. Today, having come far in our own historical journey, we must decide: Will we turn back, or finish well?

Before history is written down in books, it is written in courage. Like Americans before us, we will show that courage and we will finish well. We will lead freedom's advance. We will compete and excel in the global economy. We will renew the defining moral commitments of this land. And so we move forward -- optimistic about our country, faithful to its cause, and confident of victories to come.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.

Last edited by cyrus on Wed Feb 01, 2006 8:29 pm; edited 12 times in total

Yet the destination of history is determined by human action, and every great movement of history comes to a point of choosing. Lincoln could have accepted peace at the cost of disunity and continued slavery. Martin Luther King could have stopped at Birmingham or at Selma, and achieved only half a victory over segregation. The United States could have accepted the permanent division of Europe, and been complicit in the oppression of others. Today, having come far in our own historical journey, we must decide: Will we turn back, or finish well?

Dear Cyrus,

This essential question was not for American citizens alone, but for the free world to ponder.

I ask that the whole of the Iranian opposition ponder it wisely also, for now is the time to put differences aside, stand together in unity of purpose, and "finish well".

President George W. Bush delivered, on Tuesday evening, his
fifth State of Union Speech.

Declaring his firm commitment to the notion of liberty and
willingness to help the oppressed nations to break their
chains of capitivity and to change unpopular and
un-accountable regimes, he stated: "Tonight the state of
our union is strong -- and together we will make it
stronger....America rejects the false comfort of
isolationism. We are the nation that saved liberty in
Europe, and liberated death camps, and helped raise up
democracies, and faced down an evil empire. Once again, we
accept the call of history to deliver the oppressed, and
move this world toward peace....We will choose to act
confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom ...our
nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal -- we
seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that
goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security
of America depends on it. On September 11th, 2001, we found
that problems originating in a failed and oppressive state
seven thousand miles away could bring murder and
destruction to our country. Dictatorships shelter
terrorists, feed resentment and radicalism, and seek
weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace resentment
with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their
neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step
toward freedom in the world makes our country safer, and so
we will act boldly in freedom's cause. Far from being a
hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the great story
of our time. In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely
democracies on earth. Today, there are 122. And we are
writing a new chapter in the story of self-government --
with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan ... and
millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple ink
... and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the
rights of individuals and the necessity of freedom..."

Then slamming human rights abuser regimes, such as the
Islamic republic, he added: " ...At the start of 2006, more
than half the people of our world live in democratic
nations. And we do not forget the other half -- in places
like Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Iran --
because the demands of justice, and the peace of this
world, require their freedom as well."

Getting more specific on the threats posed by the Islamic
republic regime and the legitimate aspiration of the
Iranian People to free itself, he emphasized: "Democracies
in the Middle East will not look like our own, because they
will reflect the traditions of their own citizens. Yet
liberty is the future of every nation in the Middle East,
because liberty is the right and hope of all humanity. The
same is true of Iran, a nation now held hostage by a small
clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people.
The regime in that country sponsors terrorists in the
Palestinian territories and in Lebanon -- and that must
come to an end. The Iranian government is defying the world
with its nuclear ambitions -- and the nations of the world
must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons.
America will continue to rally the world to confront these
threats. And tonight, let me speak directly to the citizens
of Iran: America respects you, and we respect your country.
We respect your right to choose your own future and win
your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to be the
closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran."

Millions of Iranians and most dissident groups, such as the
SMCCDI and the "Iran's National Secular Party" (INSP), have
great hopes that the Bush Administration will use of all
its diplomatic and economic power in order to help them to
bring down the theocracy by non-military means and will
support them in the creation of an elected secular and
democratic political structure.

Aryo B. Pirouznia who spoke shortly after Mr. Bush's speech
to the popular NITV, on behalf of SMCCDI and INSP,
welcomed the Presidential speech. He called on the Iranian
Diaspora to carry actions showing the Iranians' expression
of gratitude to the US executive head for his comments.

Responding to the well respected anchors, Zia Attabai and
Manook Khodabakhshian, Pirouznia added: "Iranians of inside
have long showed their rejection of the Islamic regime and
are still paying the high price for their braveries. In
such conditions, we can't ask them to do more. The time has
come for Iranians who are residing abroad and especially in
the US to respond to their duty. This duty is to back their
countrymen and to seize every occasion to show their
people's opposition to the totality of the Islamic regime"

The Movement's Coordinator emphasized: "As an example, I
hope that Iranians who are residing in the US and
particularly in California will participate, tomorrow
Wednesday Feb. 1st, in the rallies organized by the
"United American Committee" (
http://www.unitedamericancommittee.org/ )against
Islamo-Fascism and will thank Mr. Bush. These rallies are
taking place in cities, such as, Los Angeles, Dallas and
New York and our members will participate in them.
Furthermore, myself and my comrades are planning to go and
express our gratitude in front of President's Bush ranch
located in Crawford, Texas next W-End. I call on those who
are living in Texas to join us!"

The followings are excerpts from the President Bush that apply to Iran & IRI thugs:
Abroad, our nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal -- we seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends on it. On September 11th, 2001, we found that problems originating in a failed and oppressive state seven thousand miles away could bring murder and destruction to our country. Dictatorships shelter terrorists, feed resentment and radicalism, and seek weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace resentment with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer, and so we will act boldly in freedom's cause.

Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the great story of our time. In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely democracies on earth. Today, there are 122. And we are writing a new chapter in the story of self-government -- with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan ... and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple ink ... and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the rights of individuals and the necessity of freedom. At the start of 2006, more than half the people of our world live in democratic nations. And we do not forget the other half -- in places like Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Iran -- because the demands of justice, and the peace of this world, require their freedom as well.

Our offensive against terror involves more than military action. Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political freedom and peaceful change. So the United States of America supports democratic reform across the broader Middle East. Elections are vital -- but they are only the beginning. Raising up a democracy requires the rule of law, protection of minorities, and strong, accountable institutions that last longer than a single vote. The great people of Egypt have voted in a multiparty presidential election -- and now their government should open paths of peaceful opposition that will reduce the appeal of radicalism. The Palestinian people have voted in elections -- now the leaders of Hamas must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace. Saudi Arabia has taken the first steps of reform -- now it can offer its people a better future by pressing forward with those efforts. Democracies in the Middle East will not look like our own, because they will reflect the traditions of their own citizens. Yet liberty is the future of every nation in the Middle East, because liberty is the right and hope of all humanity.

The same is true of Iran, a nation now held hostage by a small clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people. The regime in that country sponsors terrorists in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon -- and that must come to an end. The Iranian government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions -- and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons. America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats. And tonight, let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran: America respects you, and we respect your country. We respect your right to choose your own future and win your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to be the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran.

It's sad that even President Bush can't say the truth about Islam YET- even though he recounts 10's of savage terrorist attacks by muslims in the last few years, he still chooses to label them "radical muslims". Politics is a dirty game indeed. The truth cannot be surpressed forever though; the truth shall come out. Beslan is one of those savage attacks where filthy muslims killed hundreds of school children! Beslan is in my opinion even more savage than 9/11. The world is ready for the truth Mr President, there is no need to hide it.

If only we had more Iranians like Marine Staff Srgt. Dan Clay killed fighting in Fallujah.

I know what honor is. It's been an honor to serve and protect all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that you would not have to. Never falter. Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have had the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting.

This is an American hero who is willing to defend his country. He knew that in order to protect what he held dear - his country, his people, his family... he had to SACRIFICE.

We used to have many people like Marine Staff Srgt. Dan Clay in Iran. They were shamelessly killed by the mollah's and their supporters. Those that exist today are behind bars being tortured because there weren't enough of them to defend them, to support them, to help them realize that cause for freedom.

President Bush adresses the Iranian Nation in his State of the Union and you can hear him do so on the clip in minute 32:55 - 34.20

President Bush finishes his speech by saying:

"Before history is written down in books, it is written in courage. Like Americans before us, we will show that courage and we will finish well. We will lead freedom's advance. We will compete and excel in the global economy. We will renew the defining moral commitments of this land. And so we move forward -- optimistic about our country, faithful to its cause, and confident of victories to come. "

No one can deny the success of freedom, but some men rage and fight against it. And one of the main sources of reaction and opposition is radical Islam -- the perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology of terror and death.

Dear Liberator,

You may think Bush is just giving political lip service if you wish, but since the mullahs are (as noted in the following in Bold ) looking to create a holy war, let those of us in this struggle, and opposed to the mullah's regime, not give them what they want...eh?

Besides, there are a lot of Muslims, fighting and dying on freedom's side in the war on terrorism, and opposed to radical Islam. Should the president offend them ?

He is exactly correct in his statement.

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VOA interview of January 1st with INSP Chairman

SMCCDI (Information Service)
January 1, 2006

Another interview was made, today (January 1, 2006), by the
Persian Service of "Voice of America" (VOA), with Aryo B.
Pirouznia on the "Iranian National Secular Party" (INSP)
and its goals.

The INSP has been founded based on the SMCCDI's activities
and gained experiences, of the last several years, in
promotion of "Secularity" and "Iranism". These principles
are establishing the notions of Separation of Religion &
State, the Separation of Constitutional Powers, and a deep
believe in Iran's National Interests and Territorial
Integrity while contributing to the world's peace and
prosperity. Iranism carries also Iran's Renaissance and
establishing Iranians' deep aspirations for Freedom,
Equality, Humanism & look toward Modernity in all its
aspects.

Several other abroad based Iranian Radio or Satellite TV
networks had made interviews, in the last days, with
Pirouznia who's also the coordinator of the SMCCDI and the
Chairman of the newly founded party. These interviews and
the articles published by several foreign media sources,
such as, Il Foglio and l'Opinione in Italy, as well as, the
American Daily, MichNews and the Post Chronicle, in the
U.S.A., have resulted in a welcoming by many Iranians and
the expression of fear by some circles of the Islamic
republic.

The Friday's Editorial of the www.fardanews.com - an
Islamic regime's official website affiliated to Ahmadinejad
- has expressed this fear of "the future victory of
secularism if the split among Islamic regime's faction
become deeper".

In parts of the today's interview and answering to Ebrahim
Biparva, the VOA anchor, and several pro-regime callers,
Pirouznia stated: "... INSP is not seeking to fight any
religion contrary to some wrong believes disseminated by
the Intelligence circles of the Islamic regime. Secularism
means that the structure of the future Iranian State should
be free on any religious interference and Vis versa. There
are today many of the initial founders of the Islamic
republic and some Ayatollahs who are echoing on the need of
Separation of State and Religion...Such thing would avoid
more harm done to Islam as surely it would avoid more harm
done to our country and people...

....In other word, we want to give back to God what belongs
to it and to the People of Iran what belongs to
them....Such formula has contributed to a correct balance
and the creation of great countries, such as the USA, as it
has helped the progress of countries like France or
Japan....

...Even a look to Turkey, which is a much closer example to
Iran, and how secularity was able to accept the
participation of the religious party of Erbakan in the
democratic process, would demonstrate this well funded
claim. His religious party participated in the affairs of
state without being allowed to change the structures of the
state or to disregard the rights of minorities of every
kind.... "

To a question on what a party in exile can mean or what can
be the extent of its activities, Pirouznia responded: "Few
might argue that the idea of a party in exile is an
oxymoron. But, I need to tell them that we should avoid
being blocked by some old clichés. The world's trend and
progressist opinions are not what we can qualify as
immobile factors. If not, we would have stay at the cave
age...

...How can some of us, at any stage, believed in the
slightest possibility of some so-called 'reforms' within
the structures of an ideological and theocratic frame and
then reject the notion of the creation of a secularist and
nationalist party in exile. Principles that are the
remedies of what we have been witnessing for the last
twenty seven years...

...Are we real? Or are we afraid of something or have
another agenda?

...In reality and if we want to avoid being just a laxist,
or an always idealist looking for a kind of Messiah, or if
we are not a kind of apologist of the current regime or of
one of its factions, we need to have a sense of innovation
along with political morality, a long term vision and a
correct game plan, for the sake of our country and and
being able to respond to popular aspirations...

...I think we should open up our minds and respect the
decision of those intending to do something by creating the
necessary structure for, if we're sincere when claiming to
believe in human rights or democratic process....

...We should know that nothing is impossible when logical
and when there's the existence of a collective will behind.
In that line, INSP has its members and its ideas have for
sure many supporters, inside the young Iranian society, who
are fed up with what's going on inside and outside and are
looking for the victory of our goals...

...These goals are not only to promote and work for the
overthrow of the totality of the Islamic republic, but also
and in the tomorrow of Iran's liberation and in case of
obtaining the trust of Iranians, to send parliamentarians
to a future Iranian National Assembly. Their task would be
to push for the application of Secularism and Iranism in
the Iranian society of tomorrow which must respect all's
freedom and the world's peace and prosperity no matter of
what type of secular political frame Iranian would
choose....

.. I need also to remind that there have been many
associations formed in exile which have been able to create
decisive changes in the political course of their country.
They had to born and have their management abroad due to
the existing context and the repressive situation while
having their members and supporters in the masses...
Parties, groups or fronts in exile which became later an
official party inside the country based on the very same
principles they fought for......

...Our Party is looking for an ideology-less Iran where
each Iranian is equal and happy. An Iran which will be
reconnected with the family of nations and which will be
promoting global stability... To that end, my comrades and
I have founded the INSP and will be working for achieving
our goals!"

To a very obvious pro-Ahmadinejad caller who stated that
the Islamic regime will exist till the apparition of the
Shias' Hidden Imam 12th, Pirouznia responded: " I invite
the Islamic regime to pull off its Occupation Forces from
the streets of Iranian cities and stop killing or
executing. Then you'll witness its downfall much much
sooner than the need of apparition of Mahdi - the Hidden
Imam - who's supposed to come fighting injustices."

Bush: US would defend Israel from Iran
By Steve Holland
45 minutes ago

Quote:

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - President George W. Bush vowed on Wednesday the United States would defend Israel militarily if needed against Iran, and denounced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for "menacing talk" against Israel.

In a Reuters interview, Bush also said he saw a "very good chance" the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

"I am concerned about a person that, one, tries to rewrite the history of the Holocaust, and two, has made it clear that his intentions are to destroy Israel," Bush said in the interview aboard Air Force One en route to Nashville, Tennessee, from Washington.

'WE'LL DEFEND ISRAEL'

"Israel is a solid ally of the United States, we will rise to Israel's defense if need be. So this kind of menacing talk is disturbing," he added.

Asked if he meant the United States would rise to Israel's defense militarily, Bush said: "You bet, we'll defend Israel."

Bush telephoned President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to discuss the Iran nuclear problem, the Kremlin said.

Tehran, Iran, Feb. 01 – Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted on Wednesday United States President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address, while insisting that the Islamic Republic would push ahead with its nuclear activities at all costs.

Bush in his 2006 annual State of the Union address on Tuesday declared that Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Highlighting Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Bush said that the Islamic Republic was “defying the world”. “The nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons. America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats”.

Speaking in a crowd in the southern province of Bushehr, Ahmadinejad said, “The Iranian nation has chosen the path of progress and will continue its proud path regardless of your rants”.

“We will continue with force on our path to use nuclear technology while ignoring the bullying [of the West]”, Ahmadinejad added.

“Our nation will continue its nuclear path until full realisation of its rights”, the hard-line President added.

“The time for your bulling and unrighteous actions has reached its end. Today is the time for the rule of the nations and human piety which is being led by the Iranian nation”.

“Today, the world is stuck with a regime (U.S.) which does not know anything other than bullying, oppression, war, and occupation and forces corrupt regimes [to be in power] in other nations. Its hands are seen wherever there is oppression, corruption, or war and it does not allow nations to use their potentials to make progress”, Ahmadinejad said.

He described the U.S. as “impudent”, claiming that it had armed Israel with weapons of mass destruction.

“They have armed a usurper regime near us with all sorts of chemical and biological weapons and they tell our nation with outright impudence that we are not even allowed to carry out technological research”, he said.

“Nuclear energy is our right, and we will resist until this right is fully realised”.

To chants of “Death to America”, Ahmadinejad said that the U.S. could “go and die” from its anger towards Iran’s stance on the nuclear issue.

“The Iranian nation is not a threat rather it is mercy, but with its hard fists has always and will forever chant ‘Death of the bully’ (U.S.)”, he added.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: "One of the fields... One of the fields in which the enemies do not want our people to progress is the field of science and technology.

[...]

"One of the scientific fields in which they insist our people will not gain victory is the field of nuclear technology. Look around you. There are people whose arsenals are full of nuclear weapons. These are people whose arsenals are full of biological and chemical weapons, and today they are opposing our people's research, science, and industrial progress. They all sit together and make decisions, and think that the Iranian people goes by their opinions.

"I tell them here and now: Oh imaginary superpowers, made of straw know that the Iranian people has been independent for the last 27 years, and for 27 years it has been making decisions on the basis of its own will and efforts. On the issue of nuclear energy, our people, Allah willing, will continue in its path until its rights are completely achieved, and the opportunity to progress completely realized. We consider nuclear energy to be the Iranian people's right, and as servants of the people, we will be steadfast until the complete fulfillment of this right.

"Finally, allow me to say a word to the man who won his elections by spending billions of dollars and by a court order, thus becoming a leader of a large country. In his speech last night he accused the Iranian people of violating human rights. He accused the Iranian people of opposing freedom. These are people whose arms are submerged up to the elbows in the blood of other nations. Wherever there is war and oppression in the world, they are involved. These people channel their factories to the production of weapons. These people generate wars in Asia and Africa, killing millions and millions of people, in order to help their production, employment, and economy. These are people whose biological laboratories manufacture germs, and export them to other countries in order to subjugate other peoples. These are the people who, in the last century, caused several devastating wars. In one world war alone, they killed over 60 million people.

"Today too, wherever there are crimes and conspiracies, and wherever there are despotic regimes that are against their own people, you will find their footprints, their schemes, and their support.

"Today, they are accusing our people of violating human rights and of violating freedom. In the near future, Allah willing, we will put you to trial in courts established by the peoples. Our people has a culture of martyrdom and self-sacrifice. Our people has culture and civilization. It is a free and revolutionary people.

"I say to the superpowers made of straw and to some countries that want to violate our people's rights: The Iranian people will not be affected by your false propaganda. With its unity, high ambitions, and faith, our people will march in pride and triumph, Allah willing."

---------------------

Comment:

Quote:

These are the people who, in the last century, caused several devastating wars. In one world war alone, they killed over 60 million people.

Monkey boy must have gotten history lessons from a crackerjacks box....complete with secret decoder ring so as to rewrite history...

Right...America started WW1 and WW2....does he think the Iranian people are really so stupid as to believe him?

My question is, When are the men in white coats and butterfly nets going to show up and take him away to that previously reserved room with padded walls, in a mental hospital far far away.....or better yet , why waste good Iranian taxpayer money...just strap him to a sahab 3 and kiss his ass goodby!

"The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots." — Erich Fromm

Those of us who advocate democratic revolution are often criticized for an excess of naïveté, for failing to recognize that the passion for freedom is not universal, and that there are many people — perhaps even many peoples — who despise democracy. Given half a chance, these self-proclaimed 'realists' say, much of the world will choose tyranny.

True enough, I know it well. But it doesn't lead me to be more tolerant of tyranny, it reinforces my passion for democratic revolution.

In the Face of Evil
I spent the first 15 years of my professional life buried in the archives of the Italian fascist state, after several years as a research assistant to George L. Mosse, one of the great historians of Nazi Germany. Let's call it 20 years in intimate contact with evil in its most active and charismatic form. Among the many terrible questions I attempted to understand, I was perhaps most perplexed at the enormous enthusiasm with which it was embraced by its followers, especially because Italy and Germany were among the most cultured, civilized, and humane countries on the face of the earth. But all that culture proved useless against the onslaught of the totalitarian mass movements. And for most of the fascist era there was no real sign that the German or Italian people had serious second thoughts about living under tyranny, no real resistance worthy of the name...until the dictators began to lose the war, which changed everything. Hitler and Mussolini gained political power in popular elections (please don't quibble, I know they weren't directly elected), were reelected with enormous mandates, and governed without much in the way of opposition until they were finally done in by Allied armies, the greatest instruments of freedom in the 20th century.

When people say, as they often do, with a glint of ethnic or cultural superiority in their angry eyes, that Arabs or Africans or Persians or Turks just aren't "ready" for democracy, that such people prefer tyrants, or that they have no history of democracy and are hence incapable of it, or they have no middle class, without which no stable democracy can exist, or they believe in Islam, which brooks no democracy, I try to remind them that some of the worst tyrannies came from highly cultured Christian countries with glorious democratic and humanistic traditions. And I don't think that Periclean Athens boasted a large and flourishing middle class.

It's silly to believe that a society without democratic traditions can't create a democracy; if that were true there would never have been any democracies at all.

Escape from Freedom
The horror of fascism — in many ways the real model for today's terror masters — is precisely its popular success. It's not just that people accept it, or endure it; they embrace it and celebrate it. Today's Islamofascism is very much in that tradition. It has a lot of popular support, as we have seen in elections in Egypt and Palestine (although the Palestinians were offered a Hobson's Choice between two tyrannical organizations), as we saw in the past in Algeria and of course in the Iranian revolution of 1979.

It's not easy for modern intellectuals to accept the true nature of the Islamofascists, because of the long-discredited but still popular theory that revolutions are a good thing, and are invariably a righteous eruption against social and economic misery inflicted by greedy oppressive governments. In that view, revolutions are signs of progress, another step along the road to modernity.

But, especially in the 20th century, many important revolutions were reactionary outbursts against modernity, a desperate attempt to restore an earlier (and often imaginary) style of politics in which the state, or the leader, made most of the fundamental decisions, thereby sparing the citizens the many agonizing choices that afflict modern man. One of the greatest thinkers to grapple with these issues was Erich Fromm, who explained in Escape from Freedom that totalitarian mass movements helped modern man escape from the burdens of freedom, and then later argued that such mass movements fulfilled a collective death wish, what he called a sort of epidemic of political necrophilia. Fromm is an invaluable guide to much of what is going on in the Middle East today.

When the Iranians overthrew the shah 26 years ago, it was fashionable in the West to hail the revolution and to 'explain' it as an explosion of freedom against a tyrannical dictator. But it was the opposite; it was the sort of pathology that Fromm understood. Khomeini's attack on the shah was not that the shah was insufficiently modern and liberal, but rather too modern, too tolerant, too progressive. He promised to turn back the clock, not advance it; there would be less freedom for women and for infidels, and medieval methods of 'justice,' like stoning to death, would be reinstated. Khomeini offered the Iranians a chance to allay their terrible fear of freedom.

To be sure, many of Khomeini's supporters deluded themselves into believing that his promises were just rhetoric. Others hoped that, once in power, he would "moderate." But he didn't. He plunged Iran into a new Dark Ages, just as Hitler plunged Germany back into a (largely imaginary) ancient mindset with pseudo scientific concepts of race replacing the older tribal categories. Both were 'revolutionary' leaders of a peculiar modern sort: contemporary political techniques merged with archaic ideas. At that time I wrote that Khomeini was the latest example of a well-established concept: clerical fascism.

Losers' Circle
To those who argue that the flight from freedom is limited to one group or another, of one area or another, or one religion or another, I can only recommend remedial reading of contemporary history. And for those who say we should just abandon such people to their own misery and oppression, I can recommend a more ambitious reeducation course, along with a repeat of Strategery 101. For it is not just an academic question; tyrants hate America, and will invariably try to kill or dominate us. We need to shed all illusions about the nature of such regimes, above all the conceit that they are, after all, "just like us," and whatever differences we have can be resolved by patient negotiation, or cultural exchange, or simple deterrence. I don't believe any of that. I think they are implacable enemies of all free societies. I think the very nature of those regimes compels them to attack us as best they can. I think they have waged war against us for a long time (the terror war was clearly in full swing by the late Seventies, and probably started back in the late Sixties), and will continue to do it until they either win or lose. The policy question, on the answer to which our own survival may well depend, is how best to achieve their defeat.

Revolutionary regimes have fallen both because their own people turned against them, and because they were defeated on the battlefield. In each case, the revolutionary ideology was discredited. We humiliated the fascist revolution in the Second World War, and fascism was drained of its mass appeal. We do not know how European fascism would have ended (or indeed if it would have ended) if the Axis had won the war, but I have suggested that China today constitutes the first case of a mature fascist regime, one in which the ideology is now bloodless, but whose regime remains very nasty, corrupt, and potentially aggressive. Communism had lost much of its appeal in other Warsaw Pact countries even before we defeated the Soviet Empire. Years before the wall was breeched, very few people wanted their country to become a new Bulgaria, and Pope John Paul II once wryly forecast that the last communist on earth would be a North American nun.

Islamofascism seems to me to be on the same track to the losers' circle. The Iranian people loathe it, and would gladly trade it for the Westminster model or their own fine 1906 Constitution. Most Iraqis, even though they are still voting along 'religious' lines, have shown little affection for a new caliphate or Islamic republic. No sooner had they voted for the religious blocs than they sat down and renegotiated the division of power. It's not textbook post-electoral politics, but it bespeaks a distinctly non-fanatical approach to government. Several recent polls show that al Qaeda's popularity ratings are careening downward, while our own are rising. I think these positive symptoms are the result of four main factors: the failure of the terrorists to drive us out of the Middle East, the recognition by most people that the terrorists, from al Qaeda to Hezbollah (that is, from Sunni to Shiite), are evil and must be defeated, and the near-universal conviction that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not the sort of place where one should want to live. That mullahcracy is the closest thing on earth to the much-ballyhooed "caliphate" so dear to the mouths of the jihadis, and while some alienated middle-class Muslims might dream of its wonders, most think it stinks. As it truly does.

Finally, there is the desire for freedom. Most all of us yearn for both freedom and security, and there is no doubt that the exercise of freedom is difficult. That's why Ben Franklin warned that while we had created a republic, we would have to fight to preserve it. The demons that Erich Fromm described so well do torture our souls, and no society is exempt from the totalitarian temptation. But the desire for freedom, as the fear of freedom, is universal, and most human beings will fight for freedom when the time is right.

And that's the nub of the question, I think. The time is not always right, and history is full of examples of romantic democrats losing everything by fighting desperately when they had no real chance of success. But today the time is right. Ours is a moment characterized by radical change, when tyrants feel threatened, when freedom is advancing, and revolution is the defining characteristic of international affairs. John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Lech Walesa, and the others all understood that, which is why Reagan was able to announce that the evil empire's days were numbered, and why John Paul told his followers "be not afraid."

The call for democratic revolution is not at all naive, actually it's far more realistic than the self-defeating inaction of the "realists." If we had supported the revolutionaries with the enthusiasm they deserve, I have little doubt we would not be engaged in Kabuki dances around the Palestinians and the mullahs. Nor would we face such unpalatable alternatives as appeasement-masquerading-as-diplomacy with the U.N. and the IAEA on the one hand, and a potentially disastrous bombing campaign on the other.

Faster, please.

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Comment:

If there is one thing about people that's a given, it's that they can only change themselves. You can try to understand them, change their circumstances, try to point the roads to peace, but in the end, they must want it for themselves, knowing what the alternatives are.